DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4023#0081
AND NUBIA. 35
There reigns commonly a great deal of jealousy amongst these gentlemen. We
should endeavour to know their characters, and be attached only to such as can
be of the greater! service: the drogman of the French nation, for example, is
commonly a man brought up in the country, and that understands perfectly the
language and customs of it. By this means, if he be the least curious, he must
be able to direct you to the places, where there is any thing to be seen. You
mould not neglect the instructions he is capable of giving you, but ought to rely
absolutely on no one but yourself. A thing, that one person will not deign
to look at, may deservedly draw the attention of another, and give lights, that
will have escaped persons that were less attentive. All those, with whom a tra-
veller makes an acquaintance, offer civilly to attend him in visiting the antiqui-
ties of the country. Their kindness is not to be refused; but at the first trial,
you will find, that they will confine themselves to common things; and if you
Would go further, they will endeavour to divert you from it; whether it be be-
cause they begin to grow tired, or because they fear to expose themselves to
some accidents. You have nothing of all that to fear, when you have the com-
pany of a janisiary. He is accustomed to smoak his pipe, and to be idle: he
finds these two sorts of pleasure with a traveller, that he accompanies; thus he
regards little the time that paries in Hopping at one place. I ought, however, to
advcrtise, that it is not proper, that a traveller snould carry his curiosity so
far, as to be desirous of penetrating into places, which the Turks do not permit
the entrance of, such as fortresses and mosques. Perhaps he may be able to
persuade his janissary to carry him thither. Interest has great sway over those
sort of people. They are not proof against presents. But it would be always
^prudent to expose ones self to the danger. It may happen once that you will
escape without harm ; yet it will be always an hundred to one that you will be
the dupe of your own curiosity. I advise you never to be eager of visiting places
that are prohibited, unless you are beforehand allured of a permiilion, of such a
nature as to secure you from hazards; and unless you are convinced, that the thing
is worth the trouble that you give yourself, in order to get the sight of it.
The conversation of the people, with whom one makes an acquaintance in
the country, gives commonly into the marvellous. They relate a thousand
accidents that, they pretend, have happened to travellers, or to others. If we
gave credit to such persons, we should scarce go beyond the walls of the ancient
Alexandria; or at most advance no farther than Cairo; but in the main, I
chuse rather to confide in my own experience, than rely on the reports of peo-
ple ignorant or credulous. I dare at lean: asiure the traveller, that if he designs
to go no further than Cairo, and takes never so little precaution, the ordinary
r°ut will bring him thither with the utmost safety.
We have no need of drogman or interpreter, so long as we do not go out
°f Alexandria. If you have an intention of going further, it is proper to pro-
vide yourself at least with a valet, that understands Arabick. A dispute, that
^ight arise between the people of the boat, on which you are embarked, or
between
There reigns commonly a great deal of jealousy amongst these gentlemen. We
should endeavour to know their characters, and be attached only to such as can
be of the greater! service: the drogman of the French nation, for example, is
commonly a man brought up in the country, and that understands perfectly the
language and customs of it. By this means, if he be the least curious, he must
be able to direct you to the places, where there is any thing to be seen. You
mould not neglect the instructions he is capable of giving you, but ought to rely
absolutely on no one but yourself. A thing, that one person will not deign
to look at, may deservedly draw the attention of another, and give lights, that
will have escaped persons that were less attentive. All those, with whom a tra-
veller makes an acquaintance, offer civilly to attend him in visiting the antiqui-
ties of the country. Their kindness is not to be refused; but at the first trial,
you will find, that they will confine themselves to common things; and if you
Would go further, they will endeavour to divert you from it; whether it be be-
cause they begin to grow tired, or because they fear to expose themselves to
some accidents. You have nothing of all that to fear, when you have the com-
pany of a janisiary. He is accustomed to smoak his pipe, and to be idle: he
finds these two sorts of pleasure with a traveller, that he accompanies; thus he
regards little the time that paries in Hopping at one place. I ought, however, to
advcrtise, that it is not proper, that a traveller snould carry his curiosity so
far, as to be desirous of penetrating into places, which the Turks do not permit
the entrance of, such as fortresses and mosques. Perhaps he may be able to
persuade his janissary to carry him thither. Interest has great sway over those
sort of people. They are not proof against presents. But it would be always
^prudent to expose ones self to the danger. It may happen once that you will
escape without harm ; yet it will be always an hundred to one that you will be
the dupe of your own curiosity. I advise you never to be eager of visiting places
that are prohibited, unless you are beforehand allured of a permiilion, of such a
nature as to secure you from hazards; and unless you are convinced, that the thing
is worth the trouble that you give yourself, in order to get the sight of it.
The conversation of the people, with whom one makes an acquaintance in
the country, gives commonly into the marvellous. They relate a thousand
accidents that, they pretend, have happened to travellers, or to others. If we
gave credit to such persons, we should scarce go beyond the walls of the ancient
Alexandria; or at most advance no farther than Cairo; but in the main, I
chuse rather to confide in my own experience, than rely on the reports of peo-
ple ignorant or credulous. I dare at lean: asiure the traveller, that if he designs
to go no further than Cairo, and takes never so little precaution, the ordinary
r°ut will bring him thither with the utmost safety.
We have no need of drogman or interpreter, so long as we do not go out
°f Alexandria. If you have an intention of going further, it is proper to pro-
vide yourself at least with a valet, that understands Arabick. A dispute, that
^ight arise between the people of the boat, on which you are embarked, or
between